Former Florida guard Xaivian Lee is officially headed back to college basketball. After going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft and spending the summer with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lee has committed to Gonzaga, according to On3’s Joe Tipton, giving Mark Few another experienced playmaker for the upcoming season.
The veteran guard participated in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas but will instead return to the college ranks after entering the transfer portal. His decision gives Gonzaga one of the most accomplished guards available, while providing Lee another opportunity to boost his NBA stock.
Advertisement
$19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage
Earlier this summer, Lee signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Cleveland shortly after going undrafted in June, earning an opportunity to compete during Summer League. Across five appearances with the Cavaliers, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 16 minutes per game while shooting 40% from the field.
However, his outside shooting never quite found a rhythm. Lee connected on just 21.4% of his 3-point attempts during Summer League while posting a minus-1 plus-minus across his five contests. Although he showed flashes as a facilitator and playmaker, the performance ultimately wasn’t enough to keep him on the NBA track for now.
Instead, Lee will return to the college game after one season at Florida. He transferred to Gainesville last offseason following three standout years at Princeton, where he established himself as one of the Ivy League’s premier players.
Advertisement
Lee earned back-to-back First Team All-Ivy League honors and became the first player in Princeton history to record a triple-double before making the jump to the defending national champions. That’s what Gonzaga will be expecting with his addition.
While sharing the ball with a veteran Florida roster, Lee averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. His 147 assists led the Gators, while his 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked among the SEC’s best as Florida captured the SEC regular-season championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to arriving at Florida, Lee showcased his ability as a primary offensive option at Princeton. During his junior season with the Tigers, he averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists while emerging as one of the nation’s most versatile guards.
NBA evaluators have praised Lee’s offensive creativity, court vision and ability to create shots off the dribble. However, questions surrounding his size, defensive consistency and outside shooting contributed to him going undrafted this summer. Now, Lee will look to answer those questions at Gonzaga.
Advertisement
The Bulldogs have developed a reputation for preparing experienced guards for the professional ranks. With this decision, Lee will have another opportunity to showcase his offensive skill set in one of college basketball’s premier programs.
After taking his shot at the NBA, he’ll return to Spokane with hopes of leading Gonzaga on another deep postseason run while improving his draft stock for 2027. Time will tell if he’s successful in his quest.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and X (formerly Twitter) account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Read the full article here
